Information about Vegetables: Pea

About peas, information about the vegetable, production, history and varieties in the world.

Pea

Grown in parts of Asia, Europe, and North America, although in the U.S. the use of fresh and dried peas is rapidly declining while canned, and especially frozen, peas are growing in importance. The pea-canning industry is centered in Michigan, Wisconsin, Washington, New York, and New Jersey. The States with the greatest dried pea production are Washington, Idaho, Colorado, and Oregon. Pease porridge, a dish not unlike thick pea soup, was the main winter food for North European people. There are several varieties of peas to choose from, including Chinese peas or mange-tout, in which the peas themselves are tiny and the pods so tender that you can indeed "eat all." Cowpeas, or black-eyed peas, are technically beans, but are treated as peas and are usually sold in their dried form. Try not to overcook peas; better yet, use them raw as a delicious addition to salads. Peas are an excellent source of vitamins A and C and are said to have almost as much protein and energy value as meat.